ANALYSIS – AFC Toronto earned a W Canadian Championship berth today with a win over Vancouver Rise FC at York Lions Stadium. In a game that was both a Northern Super League (NSL) and a W Canadian Championship game, there were two different outcomes to this game at York Lions Stadium.
Note: This game between AFC Toronto and the Vancouver Rise FC was both an NSL regular season game and a W Canadian Championship game. The NSL result was 1-1, so each team got one point. However, the W Canadian Championship result was a 2-1 win for AFC Toronto in extra time.
AFC Toronto Earned a Semi-Final Berth at York Lions Stadium
Lena Silano and Lauren Rowe Partnership Played a Role in the Result at York Lions Stadium
Lena Silano, who had not scored for AFC Toronto this year since being signed in July, has now scored three goals in just two games.
Silano had another excellent game today. She scored the first goal of the game, which shifted the momentum. Lauren Rowe passed her the ball, and Silano converted it.
- She set up Lauren Rowe later in the game, but Rowe couldn’t convert.
- Throughout the game, the two players showed notable chemistry.
Silano had another chance to score, but she chose a pass instead of shooting. However, it showed that both players had put themselves in good positions to score.
Vancouver Rise FC Did a Good Job with Loose Balls
Vancouver Rise FC did a good job winning loose balls in AFC Toronto’s half. At times, they won the ball in AFC Toronto’s half and created scoring chances.
Some examples include:
- One of those chances led to Jessica De Filippo’s shot hitting the post.
- Josie Longhurst in midfield won many loose balls in AFC Toronto’s end, creating goal-scoring chances for her team.
While AFC Toronto did end up with the better scoring chances, Vancouver’s ability to win those loose balls gave them chances to win the game before it went to extra time. This is what the Vancouver Rise FC head coach, Iain Darbyshire, said about the game:
“I think we obviously came here to win, and we had chances to do that.”
A lot of those chances came off loose ball wins deep into the AFC Toronto end. However, AFC was the better team, especially in certain parts of the game, including extra time.
READ MORE: AFC Toronto Captain Nikayla Small Scores in a 2-0 Win in Halifax
AFC Toronto Had The Better Scoring Opportunities
AFC Toronto had the better scoring chances in the game. That was a big reason they won. The obvious one people might mention is Kaylee Hunter’s goal. Olivia Chisholm delivered a corner that Shelina Zadorsky headed to Kaylee Hunter, who headed it into the back of the net. A lot of credit should be given to Zadorsky, as it is not easy to head the ball to Hunter for that game-winning goal.
Other scoring chances included Kaylee Hunter’s shot hitting the post. Additionally, Hunter and other players had some good chances throughout the first 90 minutes, but they couldn’t convert.
“I thought we created more than enough chances to do that. You know, in the first half especially, I thought we had a number of opportunities where we could have, we could have gone up by one or two goals, uh, and probably ended the game at that point. We didn’t.”
AFC Toronto will advance to the W Canadian Championship semi-final, which will take place early next year, head coach Marko Milanović confirmed on Sunday.
READ MORE: AFC Toronto Wins for the Very First Time at BMO Field
Other Factors: Nikayla Small Leadership
Nikayla Small became the second-ever captain of AFC Toronto, after their inaugural captain and midfielder, Emma Regan, left the club to join the Denver Summit FC. This is what Small said about it:
“Obviously, last year, I was a rookie, so it was like the first year of growth. So, I think this year being more established and being more of a vocal leader, I think I’ve improved a lot in that role. In terms of skill, I’ve always been someone that just carries the ball a lot better now, and I can really hit some long balls, which is good. Um, yeah, no, it just every year I kind of look to get better in every aspect of my game. So yeah, it’s– I never stop. I never stop growing.”
Small had high expectations put on her this year and she has delivered so far for her club as she said this:
“Defensively, I have a lot of tackles but yeah, um, I think I’m able to read the ball a lot better and anticipate and win balls in midfield and start counterattacks.”
AFC Toronto head coach Marko Milanović also had a lot of praise for Small and her progress as a player.
What might be most important is AFC Toronto advancing to the W Canadian Championship semi-finals stage. This competition means a lot to AFC, as this was said by Milanović in the post-game press conference:
“We really wanted to advance in this cup, as it could potentially down the road provide an opportunity to play against MLS side teams, Liga MX teams, to potentially hold some of the washing from Kansas here. Um, that’s something that we’re really looking for. So obviously, with lots at stake, the game got chippy, but I thought it was a good watch.”
The goal scored by the Vancouver Rise FC’s Latifah Abdu was spectacular. She made AFC Toronto goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo guess the wrong foot as Abdu put the ball into the back of the net. The most impressive thing might be Maria Camila Reyes’s pass, which resulted in Abdu scoring the goal.
READ MORE: Zadorsky and Silano Help AFC Toronto Earn a 3-0 Win
Games Coming Up For Both Teams
The Vancouver Rise FC are one point ahead of the Halifax Tides FC for that final playoff spot. Their first game will be against the Ottawa Rapid FC at TD Place Stadium at 10:00 AM PT (2:00 PM ET). They will finish their regular season against the Calgary Wild FC at 1:00 PM PT (2:00 PM MT or 4:00 PM ET). They are one point ahead of the Halifax Tides FC for that final NSL playoff spot.
READ MORE: The CANWNT October Roster: Six NSL Players Made the Roster
AFC Toronto is second in the NSL standings with 38 points. The Ottawa Rapid FC is one point behind at 37 points, and the Montreal Roses FC are three points ahead of AFC Toronto with 41 points.
Their next two games will take place at BMO Field. They will host the Calgary Wild FC at 1:00 PM ET or 11:00 AM MT. The game will be televised nationally on TSN and also be shown and streamed in the U.S. on ESPN+.
The last game will be against the Halifax Tides FC. That game will be shown live in Canada on TSN Premium, in the U.S. on ESPN+, and on YouTube worldwide. That game will be shown at 7:00 pm ET or 8:00 pm AT.
Photo Credit: AFC Toronto on October 4, 2026.
